Krissy H. Snyder
Founder and Executive Director
Krissy initially launched the idea of Wildflower Cottage for Children after spending over 16 years directing at another program. During that time, she expanded the…
Jordan Savage
Assistant Director & Mentor Teacher
Jordan’s work centers on his belief that young children and adults are remarkably similar to each other. They both get swept away by the magic…
Destanee Cozart
Toddler Lead Teacher
Destanee was born in Wisconsin but grew up around Hillsborough, NC. She completed an A.A.S. degree in Early Childhood Education from Durham Technical Community College…
Caroline Ormond
Toddler Classroom Teacher
Caroline grew up in Charlotte, NC. Although she also lived in Colorado and Florida, she has found her way back home to North Carolina. …
Marina Lysenkova
Toddler Classroom Teacher
Marina was born in Russia. She graduated from St. Petersburg State University with a degree in Linguistics, focusing on Serbian and Croatian languages, and a…
Kirsten Bohl
Middler Lead Teacher
Kirsten joined Wildflower Cottage in 2023 as a Sometimes Teacher. She was seeking a local, community-based setting in which to learn and grow alongside young…
Gunner Schlender
Middler Classroom Teacher
Gunner grew up in Brillion, Wisconsin, a small rural town near Green Bay. Spending his childhood outside playing sports gave Gunner a lifelong love of…
Aisa Abraham
Middler Classroom Teacher
Aisa grew up in our nation’s capital — Washington, D.C.! She graduated from Dunbar High School and has been continuing her education ever since. Aisa…
Austin Morel
Middler Classroom Teacher, Part-Time
Austin got his start as an educator by teaching guitar in Washington, DC. After that, he shifted into early childhood education and loved it! His…
Lily Villeda
Preschool Lead Teacher
Lily was born and raised in Honduras. At the age of 16, she moved to Durham with her mother. Lily provided care to two much…
Lauren Mallari
Preschool Classroom Teacher
Lauren has lived in Hawaii, the Philippines, California, and now North Carolina! She is the oldest of four siblings and has spent a large portion…
Andrew Reckard
Preschool Classroom Teacher
Andrew found his way to Wildflower after a decade of teaching middle school in various school districts. He is excited to exchange test scores and…
Jacki Wilkie
Floating Support Teacher
Jacki grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania and moved to North Carolina in 2017. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and has combined…
Rania Aljazzar
Floating Support Teacher
Rania grew up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Cairo, Egypt. Living in three different countries has been formative to Rania. She believes that…
Shruthi Kadiyala
Floating Apprentice Teacher
Shruthi was born in India and grew up in 6 different cities across 3 countries. This diverse experience has enriched her outlook and enhanced her…
Barbra Laird
Music Instructor
Barbra is happiest when she is enjoying activities with her husband and three sons. But, running a close second is sitting on the floor with…
Viola Bestmann
Floating Mentor Teacher & Mindfulness Instructor
With over three decades of experience in early childhood education, Viola brings a wealth of knowledge, compassion, and creativity to her work with children and…
William Harris
Evening Custodian & Caretaker
William was born in the Philippines but raised in Durham. He graduated from Jordan High School and served in the Navy, aboard the USS Thomas S. Gates. …
Kelsey Woods
Sometimes Teacher
Kelsey grew up in Raleigh, where she began her career as a professional nanny and household manager. Most recently, she taught preschool at Boulder Journey…
Barbara Zimmerman
Sometimes Teacher
Barbara had a fantastic childhood in Person County, NC. Her favorite memories include wild blackberries, plentiful honeysuckle, hide-and-seek in cornfields, fishing in ponds, rock-jumping across…
Megan Mauriello
Sometimes Teacher
Megan grew up in the Chapel Hill/Hillsborough area. Some of her fondest childhood memories involve playing with friends in the nearby creek, creating art or…
Alisa Hayes
Sometimes Teacher
Alisa was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. She graduated from Queens University of Charlotte with a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Health Services and…
Board of Directors
In order to provide a lasting, community-based school for generations to come, Wildflower Cottage for Children, Inc. is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. The non-profit status helps us to remain transparent to all stakeholders—parents, teachers, and charitable donors. All can rest assured that funding goes directly toward supporting the program, staff compensation, and our children's education.
Our founding Board of Directors is comprised of local, professional men and women. Each brings a unique perspective and experience to their role: business management, finances, accounting, law, human resources, education, health care, occupational safety, insurance, advertisement, education, real estate, grant-writing, counseling, etc.
